ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: toast · wake · temple · wound · clip · patient · rest · race

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. rest — a break
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. toast — bread
  5. wound — an injury
  6. clip — a video
  7. rest — what's left
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. clip — for paper
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. race — the arms race
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. rest — what's left
  18. race — humankind
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wound — an injury
  23. race — a contest
  24. wake — a trail

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com